Who profiles with a plasma cutter?

[Kevin R. Cashen]

First of all, steel does not have a molecular structure, it has a crystalline structure. :
Learn, THEN post

-Page

Of course, you know I was waiting for that

 

[sunshadow]

The point was that you change the steel but I can understand why the lesson in semantics was focused upon.

I always thought atoms combine to form molecules. Crystalline sounds esoteric and "arcane". Thank you for the lesson that will help me make a knife that functions better.

In a metal atoms do not combine, they arrange into a lattice with it's regular order occasionally interrupted by gaps called dislocations which are what allow metals to bend. That is a simplification. While I understand that your intention was meant to convey sarcasm, it merely conveyed lack of knowlege. To understand metal, which is truly necessary if you were actually making knives and trying to get the most performance out of your steel, you really do need to have a grasp of the basic structure. In the interest of education here are a few quick useful links.

Definitions of chrystalline structure

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystalline_structure

http://www.answers.com/topic/crystal-structure

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/structures/metals.html

http://www.esabna.com/euweb/oxy_handbook/589oxy9_1.htm

Definitions of molecular structures

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_structure

http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/intro3.htm

-Page

 

[BMK]

thank you for the links and simple explaination

In a metal atoms do not combine, they arrange into a lattice with it's regular order occasionally interrupted by gaps called dislocations which are what allow metals to bend. That is a simplification. While I understand that your intention was meant to convey sarcasm, it merely conveyed lack of knowlege. To understand metal, which is truly necessary if you were actually making knives and trying to get the most performance out of your steel, you really do need to have a grasp of the basic structure. In the interest of education here are a few quick useful links.

Definitions of chrystalline structure

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystalline_structure

http://www.answers.com/topic/crystal-structure

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal

http://www.chemguide.co.uk/atoms/structures/metals.html

http://www.esabna.com/euweb/oxy_handbook/589oxy9_1.htm

Definitions of molecular structures

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_structure

http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/intro3.htm

-Page

 

[Richard Barrett]

Yes I can see we have strayed off topic, but thank you for the replies none the less.

I think in conclusion, if I have some money to sink into a plasma cutter, it would server adequately in cutting out blanks provided I leave some spare material to grind back to. The cutter also has the benefit of speed and usefulness elsewhere in the shop. Surely there is'nt anything the plasma can do to the structure that can't be undone with annealing or removal.

Waterjet would be #1 if the maker is willing to have many knives prepped at once and is willing to let someone else take care of that step in the process. Personally as a starter; I'd like to feel I made the knife from start to finish; maybe when I get going and need to crank out 20 blades I'll go waterjet.

Bandsaw; much slow, but won't heat the steel enough to 'potentially' alter the structure. Lower cost to own.

 

[Salem Straub]

Pretty much right on, Richard. Useful for cutting blanks, and the usefulness of a plasma cutter around the shop is enough justification to have one. If you are like me, you enjoy inventing and fabricating things/tools/machines to outfit your shop better.

I think you have a good grasp of the subject. Sorry about the thread drift.

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

I'm a little late to the party here, I peaked in the window and saw a monkey in there and went back home for a while...

I got a pretty nice plasma cutter about 10-15 years ago. I thought it was going to be so useful. But in retrospect there is almost always a better (and cheaper) tool for a job so the thing sits unused.

In Dave's application where he is slitting up hardened disks it is the perfect tool. But most of the time, cutting out knife blanks from annealed sheet with a good vertical bandsaw would be better. In my opinion.

 

[gomipile]

Also, metals form what are called metallic bonds, where the bond electrons are shared among many atoms, rather than only shared between two atoms as in molecular bonds.

These electrons are called conduction electrons, since they are free to move between atoms and are what give metals their conductive properties.

Most molecular compounds are not conductive, with some notable exceptions being graphite and graphene, which are conductive.